May 28, 2018
Out of Time Book Spotlight
In Out of Time, there was a time I missed all the things that made my life easier as I thought. Here I have no cell phone, no internet, no rock music, no almost anything. As bad as that sounds, I’m not sure if I want to leave here.
About Out of Time
Well, here I go again. All alone except for this suitcase of mine. I’m headed for a new place with new people. Not so bad considering it’s 1944. Lots of guys are in my shoes. We’re in the middle of World War II. Still not so bad. I’m a fireman in the Army Air Corps whatever they’re calling themselves these days. Once again, not bad at all. But I was born in 1963. There’s the bad part.
I was not born with the name Ray Lafayette, but that’s what they call me. I didn’t have kids or smoke a pipe. Hell, I didn’t even like coffee. I do now.
I was born into a different life than this, one with a lot of attachments. Now I carry my life in one bag. One really important bag.
In this time, people call me pal or buddy or sir, good lord they call me sir all the time.
I have friends in this time, and they are the best but do they know me like they think they do? Simply put, NO! Would they die for me? Every bit as much as I would die for them.
To say these folks are tough or strong is an understatement. Superhumans? I don’t think so. They were ordinary people in extraordinary circumstances. I didn’t have heroes before this. I didn’t understand them until now.
Since this event has started, I have experienced many things I can’t explain. There is only one other person who has any knowledge of my situation, and I can’t find him. The last words from him were vos non unum, you are not alone.
There was a time I missed all the things that made my life easier as I thought. Here I have no cell phone, no internet, no rock music, no almost anything. As bad as that sounds, I’m not sure if I want to leave here
You can purchase a copy of this book on Amazon and Barnes & Noble.
About the Author
Thomas William Lowrie is a WWII writer and author who has published two military novels, He Was and Out of Time.
He has lived outside of Las Vegas most of his life, but his best memories are of the days fishing in South Texas. Summer vacations were the best. That is also where he found his best friend and wife, Tina. He could not have done any of this without her. Of course, Ray pecking at his brain for years had something to do with it too.
You can connect with him on his website, Twitter and Facebook.
Book Trailer
The Giveaway!
Disclosure: This is a spotlight tour. I received no compensation for this post.
May 28, 2018
The Boy Who Dreamt of Firetrucks Spotlight
The Boy Who Dreamt of Firestrucks is the story about a little boy who is fascinated by fire trucks.
About The Boy Who Dreamt of Firetrucks
This story is about a little boy who is fascinated by fire trucks. Throughout his early life, he has dreams about the adventures at the station and the exciting life of a firefighter. The little boy holds his dreams close until one day they become a reality.
You can purchase a copy of this book on Amazon and Barnes & Noble.
About the Author
Alvita is a lover of writing, a teacher, and most importantly, a mom. Writing has always provided a creative outlet for which she finds sensible solutions. Having a son with developmental delays was very challenging for her. However, she used books and original stories to help him overcome the obstacles he faced at an early age. Alvita believes that the imagination is truly a key that unlocks the doors to an endless journey.
Connect with her on her website, Twitter and Facebook.
Book Trailer
The Giveaway
Prize: Win a copy of The Boy Who Dreamt of Fire Trucks plus a $5 Amazon.com gift card (open internationally to wherever Amazon delivers – 1 winner).
Disclosure: This is a spotlight tour post. I received no compensation for this post. All thoughts are my own.
May 17, 2018
The #CashIsGreener Right? Enter Now to Win $500 CDN #Giveaway
The weather is finally warming up. We are having more days of sunshine, flowers are starting to come back and the grass is looking so green. With how long and cold are winter was, I felt like this was never coming. This is by far my most favourite time of the year. I finally feel refreshed and look forward to starting my days – how can you not look forward to the day when the birds are chirping, the grass is green and there are blooms in the garden?
To help celebrate the changing season and the beauty of spring, I have teamed up with nineteen other blogger friends to bring YOU an amazing giveaway.
The prize? $500 in cash.
What better way to celebrate spring and the many upgrades around the house and backyard you may want to do with winning money. I know how far $500 would go in our house right now – we would love a new barbeque!
How To Enter The Giveaway
One winner will win $500 cash in the #CashIsGreener giveaway hosted by twenty amazing bloggers.
In order to win, complete the Rafflecopter form entries below. You can come back daily to earn extra entries (bonus!).
This giveaway is open Worldwide to residents over the age of 18. It is void where prohibited by law, for example Quebec, Canada. Please read the giveaway rules before entering. The terms and conditions can be found in the Rafflecopter widget. The giveaway is open until June 10th, 2018 at 11:59pm.
GOOD LUCK!
What would you spend $500 of free money on?
Disclosure: I received no compensation for this post – together we put this giveaway on just for you! Enjoy and good luck 🙂
May 15, 2018
The Dan Diaries Book Review
In The Dan Diaries, Dan Sullivan was the best friend of Olivia Henry when his life was taken in a tragic car accident. Shocked to be on the other side, Dan navigates his way by learning his new role in eternal life.
About The Dan Diaries
Dan Sullivan was the best friend of Olivia Henry when his life was taken in a tragic car accident. Shocked to be on the other side, Dan navigates his way by learning his new role in eternal life. His first assignment is as Olivia’s guardian angel. He has the crucial role of guiding her to her pre-defined destiny. Dan’s death throws Olivia into a tail-spin which causes her to veer way off course. He understands the enormity of the challenge when he hears the mechanism by which he can communicate. He’s only allowed to use signs and symbols to get her attention and cannot interfere with her free-will.
Every time he thinks he’s close, something throws her off track. He’s forced to start over by convincing her to trust in their enduring, unbreakable bond. Olivia can feel Dan’s presence but is still reluctant to believe the messages he’s sending. She is fearful of falling in love again at the risk of losing another soul mate. Can Dan persuade her to trust in his love from afar so she can finally receive the happiness she truly deserves?
My Thoughts
I loved the Beyond Series and this book gives a different angle for readers – Dan’s view instead of Olivia’s journey (although Olivia plays a huge role in this book as well).
The book starts off with Dan’s accident and transition – we feel his pain and confusion but being who he is, his worry is for his family and Olivia. He doesn’t want his death to permanently destroy the people he loves, which sometimes a death can do especially when someone so young is taken, we struggle with the whys and unfinished dreams. He is tasked with a very important mission, to help Olivia learn to believe again but it comes with a set of rules set out by God.
Dan has to come up with ways to reach out to Olivia (Hank) without it being direct. He uses unique ways to reach out to her – their favourite songs, a waiter with the same name and so on. While Olivia may not believe in the beginning she begins to realize that her best friend is still there with her and looking out for her like he did when he was alive.
I really liked this angle of the book having read the other books in this series. It helps fill the gaps of the important relationship the two had and how connected they were. It fills in a lot of information on Dan and his personality. If you loved the other books in this series – this one is a definite must read.
You can purchase a copy of this book on Amazon and Barnes & Noble.
Rating: 4/5
About the Author
D.D. Marx is a contemporary romantic fiction writer and blogger. Marx is a graduate of the University of Dayton, as well as the Second City program in Chicago, where she currently resides. A proud aunt and self-described hopeless romantic, Marx has always had a knack for humorous and engaging storytelling. Her pen name is a dedication to her beloved friend Dan, who continues to guide and inspire her in her daily life.
The Giveaway!
Disclosure: I received a digital copy of this book in order to facilitate this review. All opinions expressed are my own.
May 14, 2018
Start the Victoria Day Long Weekend with a Bang with Bigelow Tea #TeaProudly
This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #TeaProudly #CollectiveBias
Victoria Day long weekend, a weekend that so many of us view as the unofficial kick off to summer in Canada. This long weekend has so many great memories tied to it for me, from camping to fishing to fireworks. Despite the weather still being chilly, as children it never seemed to bother us. We were ready to begin our summer adventures!
Now as an adult with my own kids, the Victoria Day long weekend is a very special time for us. It is affectionately known as our ‘outdoor spring clean up’. Our kids look forward to this weekend every year as we always open the pool over the three days. The pool is still frigid but our youngest always braves the elements and dives right in. I watch in horror as he does this and stand back as far as possible to avoid being splashed by the water and to protect my favourite cup of tea. I feel extra spoiled this year as Bigelow Tea have six new flavours of their famous organic tea here in Canada! To learn more about the new flavours and to purchase a box of their new tea, hover over the picture below to click over to Walmart to purchase one of the new flavours!
While my boys are working on the pool, I am busy working away at my gardens – pulling out weeds, replacing soil and planting my vegetables now that the fear of frost over night is gone (knock on wood as we all know how quickly weather in Canada can change).
In order to prepare for our busy long weekend, we have to be super organized and start picking up supplies and planning out the weekend roughly two weeks in advance. We find that this gives us just enough time so that if something unexpected pops up, we are still prepared.
Two weeks before the official long weekend, we begin to create a supply list for both my husband and I. My husband’s list will have all the pool supplies (pucks, chlorine, etc.) and mine will have the garden supplies and food that will be needed (because lets face it – boys can eat and Mom definitely deserves her favourite drinks if she is going to be on her feet all day).
I always include some of my favourite items that help me to relax during this very physically demanding time. For me, the best way to relax and unwind is with a steaming cup of organic Bigelow tea. I love how a hot cup of tea melts away my problems and makes me feel that I can accomplish anything I put my mind to. There is a reason why so many people wont tackle a problem until they have had a hot cup of tea! This has been engraved in me through my Mother – she loves her tea and whenever we had a busy week or day, tea was her go to.
My Mom instilled a great love of tea but she always taught us to be picky with choosing the tea brand as that makes or breaks a cup of tea, this is why Bigelow Tea has been my go to drink. I was stoked to find out that Walmart now carries the six new flavours of steeped Bigelow Tea.
You can just imagine my joy at finding ALL of the six new flavours (Chamomile Citrus, Earl Grey, English Breakfast, Green Tea with Pomegranate, Lemon Ginger and Green Tea) at our local Walmart when I went to get groceries. You can pick up all six new flavours in the tea aisle at Walmart while picking up your other items in the grocery department at your local store.
A week before make sure to take a final stock of all of your supplies and items that you purchased to make sure you have enough and that you didn’t miss anything. If you need to, head back to Walmart to pick up any forgotten items. If you did forget anything – don’t be hard on yourself, with kids and life it is easy to forget items!
I use my Friday night to prepare the meals and snacks for the next day, from preparing meat to cutting up veggies to making lemon ginger oatmeal bites. My oatmeal bites are a family favourite that uses the Lemon Ginger Bigelow tea to give a burst of flavour and energy which we all need come Saturday morning and mid-day.
The bites only use three ingredients (bananas, oats and Lemon Ginger tea) and take under twenty minutes to prepare and bake, I love simple recipes in my house and you couldn’t get any simpler or healthier in my mind. The bites do have to be refrigerated but they taste great cold as the flavours seem to be that much richer the next day (find my recipe for them at the bottom of this post). I end my night with a warm cup of Chamomile Citrus tea as I find it helps get my mind and body ready to sleep.
With everyone excited on the Saturday, it can be hard to remember to eat a healthy breakfast but it is so important in order to keep our bodies energized for the day. That is why I love those oatmeal bites! We can eat them on the go or even come back to them as we need to – pair it with a cup of Lemon Ginger tea and you are set for the day.
Above all else, enjoy the craziness that is the outdoor spring clean up. It can easily get boring for young children, so take breaks to have fun – blow bubbles, use chalk, let them ride their bike and even use their water guns to help water your newly planted seeds. Cherish each one of those memories because too soon the kids will have grown up and started their own long weekend memories.
Lemon Ginger Oatmeal Bites
Ingredients
- 2 ripe bananas
- 1 and 1/2 cup of oats (may need up to an extra 1/4 cup of oats depending on the size of your bananas)
- 2 Bigelow Lemon Ginger tea bags
- 1/2 cup of boiling water
Directions
- Preheat your oven to 350F.
- Mash the two ripe bananas in a large bowl with a fork.
- Boil 1/2 cup of water and add both bags of Lemon Ginger tea. Steep for five minutes. Allow the tea to cool for an additional five minutes. Add the tea to your bananas.
- Add in the one and a half cup of oats. If the mixture is too wet due to the size of the bananas used, add in a little bit more oats. The mixture is supposed to be wet so be careful not to add too much.
- Bake in the oven for fifteen minutes. Allow to cool before serving.
The oatmeal bites should be refrigerated after being prepared.
How do you celebrate the Victoria Day Long Weekend? Do you have a fond memory or favourite tea attached to the holiday? Tell me how you #TeaProudly over the long weekend!
Make sure to follow Bigelow Tea on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram to keep up to date with new flavours and more.